Sarmatian and Dacian catalogue lists

 

One thing I don't spend as much time on as I should is putting together 'catalogues' for my use that include pictures of individual figures plus mould lists. The Sarmatian/Dacian Classical Range is an easy one to do though as it is pretty small!

Just 8 figures plus one conversion I'm working on!

SAC1 Cavalryman, leather armour firing forward. As far as I know never issued except by me. I found the original in the masters box as a separate rider and put it on a horse as an easier-to-cast one piece figure. 

SAC2 Cavalryman, leather armour firing forward, armoured horse. In this case I've simply painted it as wearing metallic armour - another 'conversion' from the SAC1 figure.

SAC3 Cavalry standard bearer - conversion from SAC4.

SAC4, 'Cataphract with lance (Kontos) full mail armoured horse'. The only Sarmatian cavalry figure that I know was originally sold. Painted here with horn armour.

Unlisted conversion to potentially produce as an early Rhoxolani cavalry figure - still not sure where to go with this one - could just use all SAC1 and possibly glue a shield on instead! Still, it wold give me a useful variation.

SA1 Infantryman with spear and shield, unarmoured. As far as I am aware this was the only infantry figure originally issued. I assume Sarmatian though I'm using it as Dacian!

SA2 Officer. Actually Dacian and probably coded DA1 - found an unlisted mould and a couple of masters of this figure... doubt it was ever issued other than by me (as DA1) either as SA2 or DA1!

SA3 Standard bearer. A standard bearer was listed in the 1972 catalogue but I don't have any masters or moulds with it on - this figure is simply a converted SA2.

SA4 Infantryman with falx and shield. Again, mould plus master figure but no other documentation - may have originally been intended as DA2? - I produced it in small numbers as DA2.

A list of issued and projected Garrison figures appeared as an insert in the 1972  Greenwood and Ball Journal. Wish all this had come out then...  :(  - anyway, I'm trying to fill the gaps... though 'my' SAC1 and 2 are a bit different to the 1972 catalogue version! Note the figures NOT listed here that I found masters of and have been able to produce! Apart from figures listed above, SAC3 with the bowcase carved off and replaced with a mace makes a good generic SHC cataphract, plus the generic horse archer I made works as a Parthian horse archer... so I could do a Parthian army... must try fitting SAC3 on a camel sometime...

My paint pens have been getting quite ragged recently so I bought some more (had the originals for nearly 2 years... couldn't believe it!). New pens are much better and this is shown by the increased complexity of the patterns I'm putting on cloaks and tunics...

As a side note, start expecting people to put up wargames figure prices... just ordered a new batch of metal... 28th January 2025 I paid £724-20, this time round it was £890.30! 23% increase in a year. Worse, 5th March 2024 it was £604-20!  So the metal I use has gone up by 47% in two years! 

Sarmatian EHC

 

Two units of 12 figures plus a three figure general's element

The command elements - I've identified the general by by giving his element two standards. They're also a bit more ornate. 

The other ranks. I haven't bothered putting these together as distinct units - a unit will just be a command element plus three or five random other elements. 

Still not fully convinced that these are a good way of of painting horn armour. This lot gives me 4 12 figure EHC units in total plus a general's element. I've still got another 24 on unarmoured horses to do and that should just about finish this part of the army. After that, lots of medium cavalry...

Sarmatian and Dacian Review

Still a long way to go before either of these armies are complete.

Sarmatian light cavalry unit using SAC1 for the rank and file, SAC2 for the officer and SAC3 as the standard bearer. This unit goes back to 2015... 

As do these... so 11 years before I got back to them...

The recent two heavy cavalry units. The army probably needs to double in size as far as HC/EHC are concerned, but a lot more of SAC1  figures to provide MC! 

The Dacians. Light cavalry are GAC2, the Gallic light cavalry, again with  SAC3 as the standard bearer. Need at least a couple of hundred more infantry for this army! Infantry are technically SA1 Sarmatians, but are much more convincing as Dacians! 

So a lot to go here - and the Sarmatian mould is back and will be ready for casting in a few days...

Sarmatian heavy cavalry

 

Two units of Sarmations on unarmoured horses. Probably got about half the Sarmation cavalry I'm currently looking at.

Seems like Sarmations liked bright colours like red, yellow and gold. No tartans.

So one unit based on yellow, one on red and bright block colours throughout.

Celtic swordsmen and others

I've completed the first unit using a mix of converted sword and spearmen.

It gives a better impression of a warband with a range of different figures.

So now I could probably get by with another 7 or so units...

One figure gives me an armoured swordsman or spearman converted from the infantry standard bearer.

Infantry conversion from a cavalry figure - simply turned the left foot forward and put it on a base. There is also a swordsman version of this.

Finally a simple conversion of the infantry spearman.

A lot of the conversions on the mould broke up when the mould was being made. As a result, they needed some work doing to them. As such, I'll be sending a load of them off to be made into a new mould... a mould that will also include some Sarmation medium horse archers. It'll be a while before I get this mould made - got plenty of other stuff to do first...

Sarmations. Could be Scythians...

 

One of my more neglected armies. These are one piece castings - the original was never (as far as I know) released and was a two piece casting. The one piece version I produced was easier to cast.

I also produced a one piece figure on an armoured horse, used here as an officer. What I didn't do was produce one with a half armoured horse. The standard bearer is simply the standard Sarmation cataphract on an unarmoured horse and with a late Roman standard - there is a mould of this figure as well.

Although Sarmations, these figures would serve just as well as Scythian heavy cavalry. I can see this being a very useful unit in future.

This is a picture of the force that these are joining. Not a very big army yet.

  Need more Sarmations.